Solomon's Column

b>Pensioners in the University College Hospital(UCH)Ibadan, Nigeria have called on the 21 Pension Funds Administrators(PFA) in the country to explain how their entitlements are calculated for eventual payment. This call was made on Wednesday on behalf of the pensioners by the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners(NUP) Contributory Pensions Scheme(CPS) South West zone, Chief Joseph Oyadiran, at a retirees forum organized by a PFA Forum in Ibadan. ''We want to know how you calculated our money. It is dubious. Have you started receiving retired workers 2013 IPPOIS money from the Accountant General of the Federation(AGF)? The money of workers who retired in 2013 was not calculated with the lump sum. They are yet to release the IPPIS fund to our members at UCH. It is running into millions of Naira. Chief Oyadiran lamented that the PFAs were non-chalant in matters concerning pensioners, saying,''you are not assisting us. I have a list of those affected.. Some of th

Mona Faiz Montrage Received Over $2 Million in Fraud Proceeds and Pretended to Marry One Victim to Further the Fraud Scheme Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a six-count Indictment charging MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE for her role in a series of romance schemes and for laundering the proceeds of those schemes. MONTRAGE was arrested in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022, and was extradited from the United Kingdom on May 12, 2023. MONTRAGE will be presented before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty, to whom the case is assigned, later today. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Mona Faiz Montrage was a member of a criminal conspiracy that specifically targeted older Americans through romance scams. These scams can be both financially and emotionally devastating f

The omission and commission of the leadership in al spheres of life in Nigeria, has brought the country to its present worrisome state. In his views, the Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, who is also the Head of the Association of Non-Indiggenes in Oyo state, Eze(Dr.) Alex Anozie maintains that the emergence of of a good and God-fearing leadership in Nigeria will change the narrative. Excerpts: God created this world very beautifully so that man should live peacefully and happily. But due to selfish, wicked, conscienceless leaders, the world is on fire. There are crises everywhere. Human lives are wasted on a daily basis. I am saying it loud and clear,that anywhere there are crises, most of such are caused by bad leadership. Ordinary people are very ready to live peacefully with each other, if well led, and well governed, no matter their ethnic and religious differences, they can live peacefully together. Politicians should come to help in this situation. If there is good and God-fe

The Non Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) has traced the non-payment of their five-month salaries to the indiscretion of the leadership of the union which did not consult with members before suspending the strike action. This position of NASU was made known by a former chairman of the union in Oyo state, Comrade Faotki Olusoal-Cole. ''Out of frustration, the national leadership of NASU signed the agreement and they announced the suspension of the strike at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, without consultation with members. As at today, none of the agreements have been fulfilled. Up till this hour, we have not heard anything about it. And we have been asking, but the government has not been able to tell us anything.'' ''As a result of the strike our five-month salaries were with held and this has caused a lot of havoc and problems for members. As a result, some are paralyzed, some have died, some have lost their wives and childre

Higher institutions in the country have for long contended with the activities of students and non-students, which causes lawlessness, deviant behavior and criminality-on and off the various campuses in Nigeria. Indeed, workers, petty traders and visitors have also been crucial participants in these problems, while the managements of the affected institutions feign ignorance or are oblivious of the problems. Of worry, is the unwritten consent by some members of management for the despicable acts. Indeed, homosexuality is now prevalent in these citadels of learning and, surprisingly, members of the communities have taken the abnormal to be normal. Stakeholders in the education sector have rather been silent, but rather dissipated energy on the establishment of more institutions.Perhaps. However, for the Dean of Students' Affairs, University of Ibadan, Prof. Adekeye Abiona, the University, does not have such issues. ''We don't have such issues at the University o

In Nigeria, millions of citizens, most especially the poor and vulnerable, remain without internet access. For a long time, internet users have had to put up with very sub-standard services. This is as a result of inefficiency and inadequate infrastructure. Sadly, most of those who are fortunate to have internet access use it negatively. Indeed, digital literacy is a major challenge across the country and this has translated to limited internet use in most sectors of the economy. Youths have taken to crime due to the attitude of the leadership at all levels of government, while pornographic content has exposed minors to immoral acts. Of worry, is the lack of funding for research and infrastructure for Information and Communication Technology(ICT) by today's leadership. The Backbone The Nigerian youth involved in crime is not acting alone, some of those in positions of authority are his or her backbone. This becomes glaring when an individual takes a keen interest in unfolding ev

Cultivate the habit of giving as a means of expressing to the great Provider our Love and Thankfulness. 2 Corinthians 9 : 1-15 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: 2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. 3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: 4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. 6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountif